[sw-l] left-handed or right-handed?

[Valerie Sutton]

SignWriting List
December 6, 2004

Yes, Charles, this issue can be a worry, because of the emotions some
people feel, if they are restricted when writing the way they
sign...but for readers there doesn't seem to be an issue...my
experience is that readers read it either way, but writers are the ones
that notice...

So I think Kathleen's idea of entering every sign twice...the first
entry the right handed sign, and the second entry the left handed
sign...would certainly be fair and useful and provides programmers with
some standardization for dictionary entries too...

Val ;-)

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On Dec 6, 2004, at 9:37 AM, Charles Butler wrote:

> VAL WROTE:
>
> I actually had one Deaf staff member in tears once, over this issue,
>  because the person was a left handed signer and didn't want to write
>  right-handed...so you can see I am sensitive because of that
>  experience...
>
> Val ;-)
>
>
> CHARLES responds:
>
> In Brazil, one of our chief researchers is left handed, so I, in
> compiling the dictionary, had to think about his signing anything I
> would write.  I'm still not completely satisfied that we made the
> right decision for dominant hand, but trying to get a printable
> dictionary, like your program, that is self-compiling and would show
> both handednesses would certainly be an achievement as a dictionary,
> not as a cut and paste email server, but as a look-up mechanism. 
>
>  Charles